Sigmund bebgman



(No Model.)

S. BERGMANN.

ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

No. 389,280. Patented Sept. 11, 1888.

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SIGMUND BERGMANN, OF NINV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-LAMP SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,280, dated September 11, 1888.

Application filed June 2, 1888. Serial No. 275.830. (No model.)

T0 to whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGMUND BERGMANN, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Electric-Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to lampsockets of the kind employed with incandescent lamps.

I will describe a lamp-socket embodying my improvement in detail, and then point out the novel features in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a lamp-socket embodying my improvement, certain parts being broken away to disclose parts which would otherwise be concealed. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing certain parts in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking in a direction at right angles to Figs. 1 and 2, certain other parts being broken away for clearness. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the socket. Fig. 5 is a view in detail, showing a modification.

Similar letters of reference designate corre sponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a metallic frame comprising a base portion, a, and upright portions a. The base portion, a, is connected with a shell, a comprising a socket, (6, whereby the whole may be secured to a lamp-fixture in the usual manner. This connection is made by means of screws i, which screws extend through areshaped slotsj in the shell a beyond the socket a. The screws engage tapped holes in the portion a of the frame. One of the ends of each of the slotsj is provided with an enlarged circular portion, j, of greater diameter than the heads of the screws. \Vhen it is desired to secure the main body of the lamp-socket to the shell, the screws 'i are loosened and the screw-heads passed through the enlarged portionj of the slots. By then turning the socket the shanks of the screws will be moved along into the contracted portions of the slots. By then tightening the screws the whole will be firmly secured together. This arrangement affords a ready means for detaching the main portion of the lamp-socket from a lamp-fixture without being obliged to unscrew the shell a and its socket a from the fixture.

The upright portions a of the frame A are secured to a piece of insulating material, (I, by which it is supported. These uprights con stitute bearings for a shaft, B, provided with a hand-piecc, 1), whereby the shaft may be rotated.

Loosely mounted upon the shaftB is aswitchwheel, 0. The exterior of this switch-wheel is composed of a number of spiral segmentsurfaces, 0 c c c, and intermediate radial portions. I have shown four such spiral segmentsurfaces. They are approximately of the same shape as ordinary ratchet-teeth. The segmentsurfaces 0 c, which are opposed to each other and intermediate of the segmentsurfaees 0 0 are faced with metal, which may be copper. The segment-surfaces c c are unprovided with metal, and are iioirconducting surfaces.

1) D designate metallic brushes secured to the plate of insulating material (I in the usual or any desired manner, so as to be in proper electrical circuit. \Vhen these brushes bear upon the metallic surfaces on the switch-wheel and the lamp is connected in circuit, circuit will be closed on the lamp. \Vhen, on the contrary, the brushes are in contact with the non-metallic surfaces of the brush-wheel, circuit will be broken and the light extinguished.

L designates the usual binding-posts for the circuit-wires.

Inexperienccd persons, in operating the hand-piece b to turn the light on and oh, frequently attempt to turn the hand-piece in ordcr to extinguish the lamp, in a contrary direction to that necessary to light it. \Vith lamps as previously made this has often resulted in breakage or derangement of the parts, so as to render the lamp inefficient, for, the switch-wheel being rigidly secured to the shaft, the radial surfaces intermediate of the segments c 0 0 0* were brought violently into contact with the ends of the brushes, whereby the latter were bent or broken, or other damage ensued. To obviate this, I employ the following arrangement:

The switch-wheel is intended to be rotated in the same direction both to close and break circuitna1nely, in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 3. As before stated, it is loosely mounted on the shaft B. Extending radially from the shaft 13 are projections e. I have shown two ofsuch projections. in the example of my improvement shown these projec tions are formed by a pin passed transversely through a suitable aperture in the shaft and fitting snugly therein. It will be observed that the end of the switch-wheel adjacent to such projectionsis providedwith cam surfaces f. These cam-snrfaces are formed one at the end of each of the spiral segments 0 c c c. The inner ends of these cam-surfaces abut against the intermediate radial surfaces between the segments 0 c c c in such manner as to form notches at the ends of the switchwheel. It will be seen in Figs. 1 and 3 that the projections e are within these notches and abut against the said intermediate radial surfaces. When in such position, if the shaft B be rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, the switch-wheelwill be caused to rotate with the shaft to close and break the circuit. If, on the contrary, the shaft be'rotated in a direction contrary to the arrow, the projections 6 will be caused to ride up on the camsurfaces f, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, and will pass over them and drop into the next adjacent notches, and so on, solong as the shaft is rotated in that direction.

The projections c are permitted to ride up on the cam-surfaces by a longitudinal movement of the switch-wheel. This movement occurs against the resistance of a spring, 9, here shown as acoil-spring arranged about the shaft B and abutting at one end against one of the upright portions a of the frame A and at the other against a washer, h, surrounding the shaft and adjacent to the switch-wheel. The tendency of the spring is to force the switchwheel forward, so that the projections e on the shaft will be always in engagement with the notches when the switch-wheel is being rotated the rotation of the wheel when the shaft is 1'0- tated in one direction.

It will be seen that by my improvement breakage or derangement of the parts, due to an improper turning of the shaft B, is effectively prevented, because the switch-wheel will not rotate with the shaft in such direction.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a lamp-socket, the combination, with an electric circuit, of brushes in said circuit, a switch-wheel comprising spiral segmental surfaces against which said brushes bear, a shaft upon which said wheel is loosely mounted, a clutch, one member of which is formed upon one end of said switch-wheel and the other member mounted upon said shaft, said clutch operating to rotate the wheel when the shaft is rotated in one direction, but releasing it when the shaft is rotated in the other direction, and a spring forcing said clutch members normally into engagement, substantially as described.

SIGMUND BERGMANN.

Witnesses:

P. H. KLEIN, Jr., E. W. LITTLE. 

